19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Back down memory lane....., August 1, 2000
Flyy Girl engulfed me. Omar's account of the eighties was so thorough and in depth...the loose language, the flashy clothes, the `I'm better than you' attitude, was vivid and consistent. Tracy Ellison, the main character of Flyy Girl, is a year younger than me. So reading Flyy Girl took me back to my own youth, when I wore Coca Cola sweatshirts, Guess jeans, and so much gold that it would blind you. Subliminally, I went back to the `80s dances and parties. It was so refreshing to read.
What struck me most was the accuracy of the growing pains that the young female characters in Flyy Girl encountered. The profound peer pressure, the dubious dating game, and the ferocious family matters, were so in depth. Since Omar is a male writing about the internal feelings and thinking of growing girls, I was very impressed with the authenticity of Tracy and Raheema's feelings, confidence level, maturation level, and perspectives on issues. I also enjoyed Raheema's subplot....Tracy's lavish, spoiled, perfect life is one realm of female adolescence, then Raheema's overbearing, protected, and acrid environment is another aspect, yet the intermingling of such different upbringings made the story extremely real and alive to me. Plus the flagrant differences in their personalities enriched the dilemas in the novel. Lastly, I was impressed with the degree of growth that all the characters in the novel underwent. Tracy and her parents matured...Raheema and her family matured as well.
I'm just glad that I didn't have to wait for the sequel. It's out now, I've got it, and I'm reading it next. If you want a refreshing and real story, read Flyy Girl. This book is even good for some teenagers. Good job Omar.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Like Fast Girl., June 22, 2000
I read "Do Right Man" and I really did not like it, so when my bookclub chose this one I was not excited about reading it. I have to admit that it caught my attention. About 10 years ago I could relate to this book on my level, but now that I have children, I see where Tracy's mother went wrong. Omar was on the money with the music, trends and fashions for the 80's! However, from the beginning Tracy had too much attitude and freedom. Unfortunately she was a product of a single parent family and that tends to cause more problems in itself. The book kept my attention and I routed for Tracy to see some the character for what they were worth. She finally caught on when she saw the demise of her friend, Mercedes. Sometimes it takes a shock to get us on the right track. Anyway, this was a decent book and Omar Tyree did a good job writing this book from a young girls perspective. It is not easy for a man to see things through the eyes of a young adolescent female. Hats off to you Mr. Tyree.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Back In The Day!, August 8, 2000
Flyy Girl, Omar Tyree's debut novel was a very entertaining, eye opening and enlightening read. Tyree provided an in-depth view about the realistic situations that young girls encounter in the streets of Urban America. Tyree did a good job of speaking from a female perspective especially that of a young female. I enjoyed reading about Tracy's escapades, RaRas vulnerability, and Jantel's dedication. I felt like I was back in the day...only it was doing the 70s. Even then, teenage girls were interested in dating, flyy clothes, and guys with money and bad rides. Although I must say that Tracy and her friends took it to a different level...a more gritty, street smart and immoral level. (As such, It leaves me to wonder what I will be store for in 2010 when my daughter comes of age and begins to date). While I didn't like the boyfriend flavor of the week theme, because it became a little redundant after the third boyfriend, I did enjoy watching Tracy mature with time and realize that there was more to life than being flyy. I saw Tracy as a spoiled youngster exploit into the teen years with much attitude, a vain personality, a materialistic girl, and sexual desires to boot. But then I also saw Tracy experience an awakening and as a result the love for self. While Flyy Girl was primarily Tracy's story there were secondary characters who were essential to the story along with their sub-plots. I enjoyed reading about Tracy's parents although I was disappointed in the actions of her father toward his family and to some extend the things that Tracy's mother allowed Tracy to get away with(ie expensive gifts from boys and no questions asked. However, given that the parents had their own set of issues I also understood their imperfections and realized that even as a parent I too will make mistakes. Flyy Girl provides insight regarding the issues that young teens face as they try to live in the fast lane and world of easy money; provides a good explanation of how young women think and how young boys act; and has a message that's worth hearing. I believe that every mom should purchase this book to share with her daughter when she becomes of age.
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